Magneto-machine.



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MAGNETO MACHINE. APPLICATION .FILED MAY 3,1915.

1,169,612. v "Patented Jan; 25, 1916 Witnesses v Inventor.

- I fittorneya nal combustion engine operation.

"UNITED STATES PATENT orrion.

WALTER BROWN, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO WEBSTER ELECTRIC COMPANY,

OF BACINE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

MAGNETO-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 25, 1916.

Application filed May a, 1915. Serial No. 25,416.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVALTER BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Racine, in the county of Racine and State of lVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Magneto-Machines, of which the following-is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to magneto machines, and particularly to that class of. magneto machines employed in connection with make and break ignition devices to produce the ignition sparks orarcs necessary for inter- The . magneto is preferably of that type comprismg a solid metal rotor movable in one direction by an engine driven actuating device and returned quickly to normal position by springs when released from said actuator to cause a rapid change in the magnetic flux through the energizing windings of the magneto machine to cause the flow of the spark-producing current. While the details of the magneto machine per 86 are not particularly important in so far as the present invention is concerned, it is essential that the movable element thereof, whether it be a rotor of the solid metal type, or otherwise, be provided with means for quickly returning it to position after it has been moved from normal position and released.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a lever whereby the movable element of the magneto may normally be moved from normal position, released and then quickly returned to normal position by its associated springs to cause the flow of current and so createa spark to ignite the initial orstarting charge within the cylinder of an associated internal combustion engine in order that the engine may be started without cranking. The make and break devices are, of course, operated simultaneously with the operation of the magnetomachine to permit passing of the spark at the proper engages the rotor, moves it from its initial position and releases the same, but when the lever is moved in the other direction, it clears the rotor and thus does not operate the same in reverse direction. It is extremely important in a magneto of this type that the rotor be not moved any appreciable amount in reverse direction, this being due to the fact that if the rotor is moved in reverse direction, the make and break devices will become locked or injured.

My invention is fully set forth in the following detailed description in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings,

in which: Ilglllt} 1 1s a frontelevational view of a magneto machine embodying myinvention. Ilg. '2 is an isolated perspective view of the manually operable starting lever. Fig. 3

illustrates the starting lever in the position v the starting lever after the rotor has been manually moved from normal position and Just prior to its being released from the starting lever.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views. Referring to the drawings, I have shown the frame-work of the magneto machine at 10,v said magneto machine being provided with field magnets 11, mounted in the frame-work 10. The said field magnets are provided with suitable pole pieces (not shown), located in the framework 10, and

movable between said pole pieces is a rotor (notshown), said rotor being rigidly at tached to a shaft 12. The rotor referred to is preferably in the form of a solid metal inductor adapted when operated to cause a rapid change in the magnetic flux passing through the generating windings mounted upon the pole pieces. These last mentioned features of magneto machine construction are now well known to those skilled in the art to which my invention relates, so it will be unnecessary to go into detailed description of these parts at this time.

Keyed or otherwise rigidly secured upon the shaft 12 is a yoke 13, said yoke being bent at its ends to form the arms 13 and 13* disposed substantially parallel to the axis of the shaft 12. Carried by the frame- WorklO on each side thereof and projecting from the framework in lines substantially parallel to the axis of the shaft 12 are arms 14 and 15 and acting between the arms 14 and 15 and the arms 13 and 13 are helical springs 16-16 whichnormally retain the yoke and its associated rotor in the position illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Suitable rollers 17 engaged by the ends of the springs 16-16 are preferably mounted upon the arms 14: and 15 of the frame-work and the arms 13 and 13 of the yoke, as is clearly illustrated in ittention is directed to the fact that the magneto briefly described above is of the type-wherein the rotor is oscillated an re leased to. produce the necessary spark-producing current. Associated with the rotor 12 in practice is an engine driven actuator and make and break ignition device not herein shown but which may be and desirably are of substantially the type illustrated in reissue patent to Emil Podlesak hereinabove referred to. The arm 15 projecting from the magneto machine frame-work is preferably slightly longer than the arm 14: andmounted upon the arm 15 is a manually operable starting lever 18 having an arcuated slot 19 fitting over the pin 15, the said lever being retained in position by a washer 20 and cotter pin 21. It will be seen, therefore, that the starting lever 18 constitutes a pernu nent part of the magneto."

When the starting lever 18 is not in 1 so, that is when the magneto is idle, or when the same is being operated by the engine driven actuator, the manually operable starting lever 18 assumes the position illus- .trated.in Fig. 3. \Vhen the lever 18 is utilized to actuate the rotor, the long arm of "the lever is grasped and turned in a contraclockwise direction. As is clearly illustrated in'Fig. 4, this operation of the lever will not' result in actuation of the rotor, but

on the other hand the ,pin and arcuated slot connection-between, the ,starting lever. and

machineframe permits the short arm ofthe starting lever to clear the arm 13" of ;the

yoke 13 associated with the roller.

After the, starting lever has assumed a position illustrated in Fig. 1, the long arm. thereof is operated in a clockwise direction and in this casethe short arm of the lever of the yoke I claim as new and desire to secureby-Let -vice having pin and 'ter, and when moved tion . released from the starting lever, the cooked position of the rotor being illustrated in Fig. 5. After the rotor has been moved to cocked position, slight movement of the manual starting lever in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 serves to re lease the rotor, whereupon the springs 16-16 quickly return the same to its initial position and simultaneously effect the generation of an electric current in thewindings of the magneto machine. It is not essential, so far as my present invention is concerned, whether the lever 18 be provided witha'notch 20 whereby the rotor may be locked in cocked position. The essential feature of my present inven-' tion is the means whereby operation of the manual starting lever cannot possibly op crate-to move the rotor in" reverse direction. Having thus described my invention, what ters Patent of the United States is:

1. In an ignition apparatus the combina* tion of a current generator comprising a rotor, spring mechanisnrfor quickly return ing the rotor to normal-position when the" latter is moved from normal position and released. and a manually actuatedlever hav-' ing pin and 'slot connection with means fixed relative to thegenerator frame-work adapted when moved in one direction to engage the rotor, move and release the same, and when moved in the the rotor. i

2. In an ignition apparatus the combination of a current frame-work and rotor, means for quickly returning the rotor to normal position when the latter is moved from normal position and released, and a manuallyoperable demeans fixed relative to the framework other direction to clear slot connection with adapted when moved in one direction to engage the rotor, move and release the latin the opposite direction to clear the rotor.

3. In an ignition apparatus. the combination of a currentgenerator comprising a rotor, means for quickly returning-the rotor to normal position when the, latter is movedfrom normal posit-ion and released, and a device for manually. actuating the rotor.

adapted when moved in one direction to engage the rotor, move andreleasethe latter, and when moved in the. opposite direction 1 to clearthe rotor and leavetheflatter un afiected thereby.v i

4. In an ignition apparatus-the. combinaof a current generator comprising a framework, rotor and, means, for quickly 105 generator comprising a returning the rotor to normal position when with a generator frame-Work adapted when moved in one direction to engage the rotor, move and release the latter, and when moved in the opposite direction to clear the rotor, leaving the latter unaffected thereby.

5. In an ignition apparatus the combination of a current generator comprising a frame-work, rotor and means for quickly returning the rotor to normal position when the latter is moved from its norm'al position and released, an arm carried by the generator frame-work and a manually operable lever adapted to releasably engage the rotor, said lever provided with an elongated slot fitting over said arm, said lever adapted when moved in one direction to engage the rotor, move andrelease the latter, and when moved in the other direction to clear the rotor. v a '6. In an ignition apparatusthe combination of an ignition magneto comprising a frame-work, rotor and means for quickly returning the rotor to normal position when the latter is moved from its normal position and released, an arm carried by the framework or something stationary relative thereto, and a manually operable lever provided with an arcuated slot fitting over said arm,

said lever adapted when moved in one di 'rection to engage the rotor, move and release the latter, and'when moved in the other direction to clear the rotor.

7. The combination of.a current generator 1nclud1ng a rotor and frame-work, a

crank arm on the rotor and spring con necting the rotor and frame-work adapted to return the rotor to initial position when the latter is moved from initial position and released, a pivot member carried by the frame-work and a lever having an arcuated slot' fitting over said pivot member, said leveradapted when moved in one direction to engage, move and-release said crank arm,

and when moved inthe opposite direction to clear the crank arm.

rotor, spring mechanism for quickly returning the rotor to normal position when the latter is moved from normal position and the rotor is quickly returned to initial po-' sition when the latter is moved from initlal position and released, and a manually operable starting lcver having an arcuated slot therein fitting over said arm carried by the frame-work, said lever adapted when operated in one direction to engage the crank arm, more and release the same, and when moved in the opposite direction to clear the crank arm.

10. The combination of a current generator including a frame-work, a rotor, a yoke on the rotor, arms carried by the framework, springs connecting the last mentioned arms with said yoke adapted to quickly return the rotor to initial position when the latter is moved from initial position and released, a manually operable starting lever having pin and arcuated slotconnection with the frame-work adapted when operated in one direction to engage the rotor, move and release the latter,.and when moved in the other direction to clear the rotor, and means for securing the starting lever in position upon the generator frame-work.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 96th dav of April, A. D. 1915.

' \VALTER BROIVN. \Vitnesses P. G. Cnnwn, S. C. Lone.

,4 In an ignition apparatus the cornbinat 1on of a current-generator comprising a 

